That lightning bolt in the sky, what could it be? A comet? A meteor? , it's the meteoric rise of pro-body champion Rachel Daniels' career!
Some excellent muscle competition participants have to pay a ton of fees that take many years to earn their pro cards. t so with Rachel. I went online and looked for information on them while researching this article. I was surprised to find so little. And then, when I interviewed Rachel, I realized why - she didn't start the competition until 2018 and qualified for an IFBB Pro card remarkably quickly.
The amazing Rachel is an IFBB Pro female competitor, personal trainer, and nutrition and posing coach. Rachel, who is sponsored by Titan Medical Center in Tampa, began her bodybuilding career in 2018, moving from the bikini division of the European PCA League to the women's physique and bodybuilding division of the NPC League in 2019. She held titles in every league and category.
Rachel received her IFBB Pro Card at the NPC National Jr. USA Show in Charleston, SC in August 2020. A week later, she made her IFBB Pro debut at the IFBB Pro League's New York Pro Show in her hometown of Tampa. Rachel won 1st overall in the Women & # 39; s Physique Division at the NY Pro, securing her Olympic qualification for December 2020.
Kyle root
Rachel is a former gymnast who switched to dancing, boxing, and theater at the age of 14 after undergoing major spinal reconstructive surgery. “I had a spinal fusion with 2 rods, 24 screws and 6 titanium hooks in my spine, which made gymnastics impossible. But I love being on stage, so I switched to theater and dancing and developed my sporting discipline through boxing. "
When she started training in 2018, a lifetime of exercise and great genetics had given her a pretty good physique. But as she describes herself: "I was really tiny." She started weight training and immediately looked for “big guys” to train with every day in the gym. She was always determined to challenge herself. And that determination has paid off. She started competing in a bikini at 105 pounds. A year or two later, when she skipped the figure and moved on to the body, she gained 30 pounds of muscle.
Rachel has created an alternate person she calls "The Real Lois Lane" based on her motto "I am the woman who can".
“In some versions of the Superman stories, Lois is not just a reporter, but develops amazing skills herself. In one version she is helpless and dependent. Strong and independent in the other. I see this as a metaphor for my own life that has compared me to the woman I am now. w I am the woman who can. "
Rachel admits that she was insecure when she was young and was always in trouble as a child. “I was very lost and angry as a child and was written off a lot as a bad seed. I think if you take care you will find that a lot of kids like me who are in extreme pain can turn this into something incredible if just given instructions. "
Becoming a bodybuilder (which for her includes all categories) has done a lot in building her confidence and sense of independence. In fact, it is a type of therapy that she recommends to many other women to become a strong woman by developing a strong body and therefore a strong mind. “One day, in my darkest moment, when my ego was really down, I realized that I was the only one who was going to save myself. I stopped blaming the world for my problems and I was forced to make my mental and physical deserves through bodybuilding, "says Rachel.
"When I started," she recalls, "I was a little ambivalent about building a lot of muscle because I just didn't associate any muscle with the female body." Also, I've seen some female bodybuilders online whose bodies I didn't really like. But then I saw others like Lenda Murray and realized how wonderful the aesthetically muscular female body can be, and by that point, I really fell in love with muscles. "
"Bodybuilding training has given me a discipline I never imagined," says Rachel. “Indeed, it has come to regulate and dominate my life. When I'm in training, nothing else is very important. It guides and focuses all of my actions. That cost me friendships. Many don't know why I am not available to socialize. Why I Can't Go For Pizza and Beer But I'm sure one of the reasons I've come this far so quickly is my ability to be fully dedicated and focus on my exercise and diet. I believe you can practice self-care without being selfish. People say I need more balance, but I don't think the most successful people in this world are actually particularly balanced. ”
In their eyes, the “Lois Lane Mentality” includes an enormous focus and discipline. She can't maintain this kind of extreme rigor for years, but she is young, her career is just beginning, and she realizes that it is laying the foundation for a career that could last for decades.
"When I have this type of discipline I'm often alone and I think a lot of serious athletes or strong women can relate to it," Rachel adds, "but I'm never lonely. My dedication to bodybuilding fulfills my life. There is no gray area with me when I commit to something or someone. I understand that ambition is lonely and I prefer it that way. "
Phil StokesPCSPhotography
One area Rachel has never been missing is the stage presentation. With her background in gymnastics and dance, she enjoys being the center of attention and posing in the most passionate and dramatic way possible by combining her theater and dance background with bodybuilding poses from the golden era. “There are a lot of great body shapes out there. But when the competition is tight it will make all the difference how you pose and what the audience and judges feel with no words. This is how they will remember you and this is how you distinguish athletes from legends. "
Rachel says she thinks like a winner but trains like a loser. That said, she has great confidence in her abilities, but she doesn't take anything for granted at the gym. She never assumes that she has done enough and can let up. "body is perfect," she says. "My goal is to be the best I can be and I won't know what it is until I'm there. I believe my potential is unlimited, someone is always better and someone is always worse than me , and I train accordingly. "
Rachel capitalizes on her athletic and social influence by speaking heavily on topics such as androgyny in relation to women in the fitness industry and the importance of interdependence between male and female athletes, using her powerful posing routines and general stage presence to enhance her “Iron Sisters ”and redefine women's roles in bodybuilding as we know it.
